Not Without You
by runwiththenight
Summary: AU where Caroline and Klaus are part of the trip to the island to search for the cure. When unforseen dangers arise, Caroline will have to make a choice. Inspired by a little scene in Titanic. Pretty much just Klaroline feels (; You'll have to suspend your beliefs a little since some parts contradict the actual show's timeline. Let me know what you think! (:
1. Chapter 1

Caroline tossed on the hard ground beneath her tent for what seemed like the 100th time. Despite her thick sleeping bag and Tyler's warm body snoring next to her's, she was incredibly uncomfortable and cold. She couldn't sleep, her mind raced with the day's events. She could hear the fire still crackling outside and she knew _he _was sitting out there on one of the logs, all alone.

If she was rattled by everything that had happened, she couldn't imagine how he was feeling. Almost from the moment they'd all stepped on the island they'd wanted to go back; they could feel Silas' presence, they could tell how dark and ominous it was. The majority of them felt like the cure wasn't worth it if it meant going anywhere near him, but Stefan and Shane had refused to leave until they'd at least tried.

Then, just as they'd found the cave where Silas and the cure rested below they were struck with another ominous presence; one far less immobile. Mikael. He'd simply been sitting there, leaning against the cave entrance, tapping the white oak stake against his palm while he waited for them. Tyler and the others had bolted in mere seconds, leaving only her, Klaus and Stefan to deal with the Original patriarch.

"Hello, Niklaus," he'd taunted. Caroline had heard Klaus gasp, listened to his heart race at a speed that would've been impossible for a human. But despite his fear, he'd immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him. One thousand years of running for his life from this man and Klaus had tried to protect _her. _It was overwhelming.

It didn't help Tyler's cause much that he had run scared without sparing her a second glance.

_Don't think like that! _Caroline scolded herself. She had enough things to be stressed out about, like the fact that they were sleeping on an island that contained the two most powerful, deadly creatures on the face of the earth. Even though they had managed to escape Mikael, even though Klaus had wrangled the white oak stake from his possession, she was still terrified, and not only for herself.

Caroline couldn't deny that she cared for Klaus. They were becoming friends, so it was okay to care about him. They were _just _friends. Right?

That's what she tried to tell herself, but there were so many things gnawing at her, challenging her beliefs of the idea, keeping her up on that cold night. His protectiveness, his chivalry. He was everything that Tyler wasn't.

_Tyler._

Another thing that was making her head spin. Since the day the cure had been discovered, it was all he'd talked about. He said he didn't really want it since it would turn him into a werewolf again, but he would be willing to take it for her, so they could grow old together and start a family. He'd acted like he was committing this courageous act of love by sacrificing his hybrid state to make her happy. He'd never even asked her how she felt about it.

Which of course, made her think about the only person in the world who both knew how she felt and had never even had to ask her. _You like being strong, ageless, fearless._

Caroline couldn't take it anymore. With a frustrated sigh, she slipped on her Uggs and snuck out of the tent. She was holding her breath, terrified that Tyler would wake up and want to console her; which would mean sex. It made her feel horrible, but his company was the last thing she wanted.

Klaus' face was full of concern when she came to sit next to him by the fire.

"Can't sleep, love?" he murmured. He had seemed to be deep in thought before she'd interrupted; the white oak stake was gripped tightly in his hand.

"I'm not really into camping," she joked. He smiled tightly at her. "What about you?" she whispered softly.

"You could say my mind is a bit preoccupied," he teased, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. She could tell he was hurting and she was surprised by how much it hurt her.

"It'll be okay," she soothed. "We'll get the hell off this island first thing in the morning and he won't be able to hurt you,"

Klaus turned to her, his eyes burning with that intensity that always caught her off guard. No one had ever looked at her like that and she was pretty sure she could live forever and no one else ever would.

"It's crazy, but for the first time in one thousand years, it's not me I'm worried about," he sighed. His eyes bore into hers and her breath hitched in response. She found she was unable to tear herself away from his gaze. Thankfully, he was the first to look away, turning his attention back to the fire.

The silence fell heavily upon them and Caroline was desperate to relieve the tension. "Do you want me to make you a s'more?" she chimed. Klaus broke into a smile and she felt like a weight was being lifted off her chest.

"I don't know, are they good?" he replied.

Caroline's eyes widened. "You've never had a s'more?!" Klaus simply shook his head, smirking at her bewilderment. She stood up suddenly, in search of supplies.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, what have you been doing for the last 1,000 years? Never had s'mores before. That's ridiculous!" she ranted, her arms full of graham crackers and marshmallows. She sat next to him again and began roasting one, ignoring the way he was chuckling at her.

"How can you claim to be so experienced and knowledged when you've never even set a marshmallow on fire?" she laughed, knowing how ridiculous she sounded but she wanted to keep the atmosphere the way it was. They kept laughing as she finally finished his s'more and watched him intently as he took a bite.

"It's good," he nodded with a grin after he'd smiled and wiped the marshmallow off his chin.

Caroline scoffed. "Understatement of the millenium. My s'mores are the best,"

They sat in silence for awhile longer, but it was no longer uncomfortable. They were both content just sitting next to each other by the fire. Finally, Caroline felt her eyes starting to get heavy.

"You should get some sleep, love," he murmured. She nodded tiredly. "What about you? You need sleep, too, ya know. It's going to be a long trip home tomorrow,"

Klaus looked down and opened his mouth to say something, but he seemed to change his mind. Something flashed in his eyes but before Caroline could decipher it he looked away for a moment and when he turned back to her his face was impassive.

"Goodnight, Caroline," he whispered. She was confused at his change in demeanor but she was too sleepy to press the issue.

"Goodnight, Klaus,"


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline hugged her arms tighter around herself, trying to minimize the skin exposed to the biting wind and sharp raindrops that fell occasionally from the swirling clouds. While the rest of the group was down on the beach packing the boat, she had taken a minute of solitude on one of the boulders overlooking the sea. The water was slate gray underneath the darkening sky until the wind sprayed it white across the rocks. Despite being sheathed in a long sleeved black sweater, jeans, and boots, she was freezing. She shivered and tried to think about the hot shower she would take the moment they got back home.

With a sigh, she decided her moment of solitude was up and headed back to the beach to find her bag. She saw that it was about 20 yards away from everyone else and that Klaus was standing next to it, arms folded as he looked out towards the sinking sun in the horizon. They were supposed to have left that morning but had decided to wait until the evening. After the long day of waiting, apparently he'd needed a moment alone as well.

Caroline continued to hold herself as she walked towards him, desperately trying to shield herself from the wind. Klaus' trance broke as she approached and he smirked at her.

"Come to say goodbye, love?"

Caroline stopped in her tracks. "I came to get my bag," she pointed at the ground. "What do you mean say goodbye?"

Klaus simply looked away from her and then at her feet, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Klaus, what the hell are you talking about?" she demanded. Finally, he dragged his gaze up to meet her fiery one.

"I'm staying here, Caroline-"

"Like hell you are," she spat in response. Anger was coursing through her veins and she decided to latch on to it, afraid of what other feelings would seep through if she let it subside.

"I have to finish this," he answered simply, as if he were talking about the weather. Caroline thought she would explode.

"Are you crazy? He will kill you! We can leave him here, stranded on this island. We can all go home-" she started to rationalize, hoping persuading him would work better than threatening.

"Do you really think that will work? Do you really think he'll remain trapped on this island? He'll find a way to escape and then he'll come after me yet again. The only thing I am doing by getting in that boat is putting your life in danger as well as mine. It's a cowardly thing to do," he finished bitterly. The last line relit the fire in her veins.

"A cowardly thing to do?!" she shrieked. "You have spent 1,000 years running from him, and for good reason, and now you're just going to trap yourself on an island with him? Over your pride?!"

"You should be happy about this! I'm doing a decent thing for once!" he spat back at her, quoting her venomously. He had tried to remain calm but she was being unreasonable.

"Yeah, by getting yourself killed!" she exclaimed. Then, with those words, a strange coldness overtook her. It was different from the cold that was whipping at her from the wind and the rain; it was an ice inside of her, as if snow were rolling through her veins. It gripped her heart and the pain of it made everything hazy. The chatter of her friends near the shore suddenly seemed distant as did the sound of the howling wind.

"I'm not leaving, love," Klaus spoke, and the finality of his voice made her feel numb from head to toe. If her brain had been working correctly she would've recognized the symptoms of shock; but she was suddenly unable to think about anything. It was as if her body was shutting down. She took a stumbling step backwards, unable to make any words pass through her frozen lips.

Klaus pressed his lips together tightly as he looked over her shoulder.

"Care, we gotta get going," Tyler insisted. His voice was impatient. He was no doubt irritated that she was holding them up by talking to Klaus. Caroline simply drew a shaky breath. She couldn't speak.

"Babe, you're freezing. Here," he slid off his black coat and placed it around her. The warmth of it should have felt good but all Caroline felt was it's weight. It was as if she were too cold to be warmed by anything. Tyler stepped around her and picked up her bag before slinging it over his shoulder. He gave her a weird look, obviously curious as to why she was behaving so strangely but he only placed his hand on her back and guided her towards the boat.

He looked back at Klaus awkwardly. "Can you push us off?" he asked, referring to the boat. "_So he knew. They all knew.", _A small voice in the back of her head said. Klaus nodded and followed them to the edge of the beach where the small motorboat waited. Elena, Damon, Stefan, Shane, and Bonnie were all climbing in. Caroline was shaking now. Every step she took towards the shore seemed to deepen the cold ache inside her.

Tyler climbed in the boat and reached a hand out to help her in. "Come on, Care," he said. She looked back at Klaus, her mouth hanging open slightly. She felt absolutely frozen. He gazed back at her with tight eyes and nodded, silently telling her to listen to her boyfriend.

Tyler grabbed her hand and pulled her forward and she numbly climbed in the boat and took the last remaining seat, the one at the very front, closest to where Klaus stood waiting to push them off.

She placed her hands on the icy metal rim of the boat, gripping it until her knuckles were white. Suddenly, Klaus placed his hands over hers as he bent forward. A semblance of warmth returned to her and she gazed up at him with wide eyes.

"I'll see you soon, Caroline," he whispered. He wanted so desperately to lean down and kiss her golden hair, to breathe her in one final time; but he knew it would give him away so he settled for the touch of her cold hands under his.

Caroline saw that look again in his eyes, the one she'd seen a flash of the night before while they sat by the fire. Again, she couldn't decipher its meaning. Before she could respond, his hands were gone and the boat was floating away from the shore; away from him. The coldness crept it's way back to her fingers, snuffing out the brief fire that had been lit by his touch.

Her breath was coming quickly now. Her eyes darted around desperately, trying to comprehend her surroundings. There was still that gray haziness that coated everything in sight. She looked as Elena and Damon laughed, Bonnie and Shane were whispering intently, Tyler was looking at his phone. No one seemed to notice her or the man that was lingering on the beach, watching them go.

Her daze was so heavy as she looked around that the roar of the motor starting made her jump. Her heart was racing now, matching the quickening speed of her ragged breaths. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes but the numbness of the shock refused to tell her why.

Finally, she looked back up at Klaus. He was staring straight at her with his hands behind his back. They were slowly pulling away from him as Shane tried to navigate the heavy waves. There was the same look in his eyes and she could tell he was no longer trying to hide it. Whatever he was feeling it was painful, it was longing, and he directed that gaze toward her so intently that she would have blushed if her blood hadn't frozen in her veins.

The boat began to pick up speed, pulling them further away from Klaus. He remained motionless, keeping his eyes locked on hers. Despite the distance that was increasing between them she could see him clearly. The sadness in his eyes increased as they sped further and further away.

Klaus' eyes started to fill with tears and she almost swore she could hear his ragged sigh, though it was impossible over the roaring wind. That was all it took to snap Caroline back to reality. Everything was suddenly crystal clear. The voices of her friends, laughing and chatting without a care in the world. No one, not even Tyler, had even glanced her way or noticed her panic. The wind and rain whipped at her face and she took it all in; the sights, the sounds, all broken through the haze.

With her newfound clarity came understanding. Klaus' face, the way he'd looked at her as he said goodbye. It wasn't just sadness, it was heartbreak. And the intensity behind it told her he was preparing himself to never see her again; he wasn't planning on making it home. As she narrowed her eyes towards the beach she found that she could still see him clearly and that tears were streaming down his face, though he continued to watch her as well.

On top of everything that was breaking through to her, the most prominent emotion was _pain. _Overwhelming, crippling pain. It felt like she had left her heart lying on the beach, having it clawed out from her chest, leaving a gaping hole that only grew the further they got from the island. The further they got from Klaus. It was that pain that finally told Caroline what she wanted.

She stood up suddenly and threw Tyler's coat off her. She lifted one foot on the edge of the boat.

"Caroline, what the hell are you doing?" Tyler roared in panic. So he had finally decided to pay attention to her?

She looked back and saw that all heads had been turned towards her. Tyler seemed furious, her friends all looked confused and Shane wore a knowing smirk that she didn't understand but she no longer cared. She met Tyler's eyes and knew there was only one thing she could say to him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. And before anyone could stop her, she jumped. Time seemed to slow as she dove towards the water. She heard Elena and Bonnie scream. She heard Tyler rush to edge of the boat to watch her. She even heard a chuckle from Shane. But the only sound that truly reached her was the roaring voice that came from the island.

"NO!" It shouted desperately, and then Caroline was in the water.

And despite that the ocean was so cold it should have killed her.

Despite that all her friends probably thought she'd gone crazy and that she had broken Tyler's heart.

Despite that it took all her vampire strength to swim through the tumultuous waves.

Despite the fact that this would surely mean the death of her, Caroline swam.

She swam with all her might towards that voice.


	3. Chapter 3

After what felt like a thousand years, Caroline reached water shallow enough that she could stand. She broke through the surface, gasping to fill her bursting lungs with air. She stumbled forward on shaking legs. Her clothes and her hair were plastered to her soaked skin and if she had thought the cold wind was biting earlier, it was positively slicing her to pieces at that moment.

She'd barely managed to take a step when strong hands grasped the tops of her arms, almost too hard.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he roared. She hadn't realized she was sobbing until she tried to speak through the lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't go, I couldn't-

"He will kill you!" Klaus shouted. She paused to look in his eyes and saw a flurry of panic and anger in them. She felt her own passionate heat rising in response.

"I don't care!" she screamed. "I couldn't leave you,"

"No, you have to!" he demanded. "You swim back out to that boat now, Caroline!"

They were suddenly screaming at one another, both unwilling to back down. They hurtled their words at each other, Klaus with his threats and Caroline with her defenses until both their throats were raw. Klaus' roar finally rang out over her's.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU DO THIS!" he bellowed. His eyes shone amber and he bared his teeth at her. She didn't even flinch.

Caroline let the veins pulse under her own red eyes as she screamed back at him through her tears, "Why are you being like this? I'm trying to tell you that I'm _in love _with you and that I can't live without you and instead of being happy-"

She was cut off by his lips crashing against hers. _Finally_ she thought as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His hands moved from their position in her hair to wrap tightly around her waist, so tight that he lifted her off her feet. As their bodies pressed together Caroline felt that warmth shoot through her again, filling her up and soothing all the icy pain that had gripped her before. She had never felt so _whole _in her entire life, as if a piece of her had been filled that she didn't even know was missing.

She had forgotten they were still standing knee deep in the sea until a wave came up behind her and nearly knocked them over. Klaus picked her up and sped them away from the shore and before she'd even finished blinking they were in his tent. Caroline looked around in surprise; she hadn't ever experienced his speed before. A small smirk crossed her lips when she let herself revel in his power for the first time; the fastest, strongest, most powerful creature on Earth was in love with _her,_ as she was with him.

His mouth consumed hers again and all thought was erased from her mind, outside of his delicious taste and scent. She was nearly in tears again she was so overwhelmed with emotion. She _loved _Klaus, really, truly loved him. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. He pressed himself on top of her and the heat radiating from his body was the most soothing thing she'd ever felt. Craving more, she ripped his shirt off, not bothering to break their kiss to pull it over his head. His hand was reaching for her sweater and she eagerly arched her back to help him peel the sopping material from her skin. The hair on her arms immediately stood up, her stomach covered with goosebumps. She reached for him, desperate for his warmth but he stopped.

"What's wrong?" she whispered. He was frowning down at her, his eyes filled with concern.

"You're freezing,"

She placed her arms around his neck.

"So warm me up," she smiled, trying to pull him closer. He relented for a brief kiss before pulling away again. Caroline huffed impatiently.

"As much as I'd love to sweetheart, that's not what you need right now." He laid down next to her and cradled her close to his chest. She was ready to protest once again when he pulled a thick blanket over both of them. He smiled at her audible sigh of relief.

"Told you, love," he laughed.

She closed her eyes and pressed closer against him, relishing in the heat against her bare skin. "I didn't realize I was so cold," she laughed softly. She also hadn't realized how exhausted she was. Her eyes were drooping heavily.

Klaus placed his hand gently on her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. Worry settled in again when he took in the bluish tint of her lips and the absence of color on the rest of her skin. He leaned her back a little and brought his wrist to her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open and met his, filled with confusion.

"Drink love, you need it," he murmured. She hesitated for a moment and then bit down on his wrist. She closed her eyes as the red veins appeared beneath them. Klaus gasped slightly as her fangs pierced his skin and she pulled his blood weakly in her mouth; he was relieved when her drinking intensified and she brought her hand up to cover his own. When she finally pulled away, breathless, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were stained a delicious red.

"Feel better, love?" he murmured, with his eyebrows raised in question.

Caroline nodded as she looked into his eyes. They were filled with so much love when he looked at her she wondered why it had taken her so long to give in to him; no one had ever looked at her that way.

"I love you," she whispered. He looked back at her in slight disbelief. She'd said it before on the island when emotions were running high but here, in the quiet calm it meant even more. He would say it back to her, a thousand times, he would tell her every day for the rest of forever how much he loved her. But first, he needed to know.

"What were you thinking, when you were on the boat? When you jumped off?" he murmured. She pulled his hand up between them and interlaced their fingers before she answered.

"At first, I wasn't thinking anything. It was like I was in shock," she shook her head slowly as she remembered the numbness and the haze. "Then I looked at you, and I just _knew _you thought you were looking at me for the last time, I could see it. And it just hit me," she shrugged. She drew a shaky breath and looked away for a moment. When she met his eyes again, they were filled with tears.

"It felt like my heart had left my body. The further I got from you, the more it hurt. I just couldn't take it anymore," she finished and he was looking at her with that intense gaze again. This time she did blush. He let go of her hand to smooth her hair back. It was almost dry now and a small voice in the back of her head hoped it wasn't all frizzy.

"You know I can't ever let you go now," he sighed. He was worried that she had acted on impulse, that she didn't really know what she was getting herself into. Was she really ready for forever?

Instead of her eyes widening in fear like he'd been afraid they would, she smiled her beautiful, golden smile. How many times had he wished for her to direct that smile towards him?

"Is that a promise?" she asked. He smiled back and simply nodded. Caroline sighed and cuddled closer to him. She noticed her legs were still cold and figured it was because they were still sheathed in her wets jeans. She rolled on her back to peel them off. Klaus simply watched in amusement. Part of her was _really _glad she'd packed her matching pink bra and panties set.

When she laid back down in his arms, she closed her eyes and sighed in relief. Every fiber of her being was happy. Her body was soothed and warm being pressed against his, her heart was overflowing with this love that she'd never let herself feel before. When Klaus pressed his lips against her hair, she was unable to keep a tear from rolling down her cheek.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern as he wiped the tear away. "Nothing," she shook her head as she looked up at him. She brought her hand up to brush against his stubble. "I'm just so happy,"

Klaus leaned down and captured her lips in his once again. She sighed into them contently. She'd never known a simple kiss could feel so good. She was immediately torn between the drowsiness that was weighing on her heavily and the ache she felt between her legs for him. She deepened their kiss, deciding on the second one but Klaus just laughed and broke away from her.

"You need to sleep, love. I'll still be here in the morning," he grinned. She narrowed her eyes and was about to fight back but the thought of closing her eyes and drifting off with him was too alluring; the mix of her earlier shock and swimming her way through the cold ocean had completely drained her.

With a sigh of defeat, she rolled over so her back was pressed against him and the warmth on her exposed skin felt delicious. Klaus snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder and her neck, causing her to hum her approval. His other hand was absentmindedly running through her hair and Caroline didn't think anything had ever felt so good before.

"I love you, Caroline," he whispered in her ear and she smiled widely at the words she'd waited so long to hear. She nestled herself into his warm arms.

"I love you, too, Klaus. So much," she murmured and despite her growing desperation to kiss him again, her sleepiness took over and she drifted to sleep in his arms.


End file.
